Monthly Archives: May 2012

Mobile apps sure are handy little doodads, telling you what’s going on, where to go and who’s nearby. But can they be trusted with your privacy?

Facebook and Google aren’t the only connected services that should have your privacy antennae up. The mobile devices that travel with you nearly everywhere also gather plenty of dirt — and you might be surprised who else has access to that dirt.

What do you need to be aware of? According to the application security firm Veracode, there are four levels of risk to watch out for. Some apps with malicious code can access your data and device sensors. Other times, your information can be intercepted if you use mobile Wi-Fi. Jailbroken iPhone and Android apps can penetrate your operating system. And bad guys can use faulty firmware to gain administrative access to your device itself…Read More

Latest since the financial crisis, Wall Street organizations have a difficult stand with the public. The image is bad and this is probably an understatement. Over the past few years hardly any organization or leader of a Wall Street organization has made an effort to improve the public opinion. The opposite is the case. Just recently JP Morgan Chase, Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs provided the public again with bad ammunition against their brands and public images. The constant inactivity in brand maintenance is now starting to hurt the bottom lines. It can now be watched how some minor efforts have started taking place.

In the past those brands believed that their brands have nothing to do with the public, since only a few are catering their services to people on the street. Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs don’t cater to the average Joe on the street and if, only in an indirect way. This assumption is as wrong as it gets. It took a while until this came to the surface, but since Facebook’s almost scandalous IPO even the last on Wall Street should have gotten the message. For those that haven’t understood why they have direct contact with the public and why this can hurt future business, here is the short and easy explanation: Continue reading →

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Futurists, meet your car of tomorrow. We know plenty about how digital technology is reshaping computing, smartphones, personal relationships and business. But what about something most of us depend on every single day — the automobile? Digital tech is also changing how we use and interact with our cars, and in more ways than you probably realize.

Vehicle-to-vehicle communications, for example, could help automobiles detect one another’s presence and location to avoid accidents. That could be especially useful when it comes to driverless cars — another advance already very much in development. Similar technology could help ensure that cars and their drivers slow down for school zones or stop at red lights.

And the cloud isn’t just for small mobile devices — cars also use it. Cloud computing powers much of the audio streaming capabilities and dashboard app functions that are becoming more commonplace in autos…Read More

With a final-lap finish and poignant win by Dario Franchitti months after good friend and fellow driver Dan Wheldon was killed in an on-track accident, this weekend’s Indy 500 auto race was one for the ages.

But how did the event play out on social media?

Franchitti was the big winner there, too. He was mentioned nearly 30,000 times by fans on Twitter during the Indy 500 weekend. The next most mentioned driver, Takuma Sato, didn’t even break 8,000.

Franchitti also added more than 4,700 Twitter followers over the course of the weekend. Brazilian driver Rubens Barrichello, however, got the biggest boost in followers, adding more than 16,000 to his total number. Tony Kanaan, Marco Andretti and James Hinchcliffe also added more than 1,500 followers apiece. Josef Newgarden saw the biggest bump on Facebook, increasing his audience there by nearly 30%.

Overall, the Indy 500 generated about 210,000 tweets from fans and media. Not surprisingly, the American audience was most engaged — almost 90% of tweets were in English, and 75% came from the United States. When did fans take to Twitter most? After crashes. Six accidents caused big spikes in Twitter action…Read More

Pinterest doesn’t just look different than other social networks — it’s looked at in a different way, too.

While most websites draw users’ gazes toward the left-hand side of the page, participants in a recent eye-tracking study for Mashable instead shifted their eyes from the top down the middle of the page. They also spent relatively less time looking at profile information than their counterparts who looked at Facebook pages.

The study, which was conducted by EyeTrackShop, used the webcams of 600 participants to track their eye movements as they looked at top category and brand Pinterest pages for 10-second intervals. They answered a quick survey about each page after viewing it.

It’s been found that full-time employees spend 33 percent of their waking hours at their workplace – that a third of your life spent at the office! It’s no wonder, then, that your working environment can have such a big impact on your happiness and productivity. Many startups have realized this and created gorgeous, open offices for their employees. However, some companies are still stuck in the bland “cubicleville” mentality. If you are working in one of these productivity-sucking environment, we have got some suggestions to help you turn it around…See More

Americas collective debt, also called the national debt or the public debt, represents the money that the U.S. government owes to the owners of debt instruments that are issued by the U.S. treasury. There are several types of debt instruments issued by the U.S. Department of the Treasury. All of these items are collectively called treasuries.

America has always had debt. Since the 18th century, the country has carried a load of debt that has fluctuated with the political and social climate of the day. In 1860, Americas debt was $65 million. The Civil War brought about a major spike in the debt. World War I and World War II also brought about major rises in the debt. The latest American debt numbers have put it at its steepest numbers since the debt level spiked during World War II.

Americas debt, as owed to foreign nations, has been rising steadily over the years. The gross debt in trillions of U.S. dollars was about $10 trillion in 1940. In 1950, it had risen to about $18 trillion. After falling for a few decades, it began rising again in the late 1980s. In 2009, Americas debt was again up to $18 trillion. It is projected to continue to rise over the next few years. By 2011 it is projected to be about $20 trillion. The projected amount of American debt in the next few years equals 100 percent of the U.S. GDP.

Foreign Held Treasury Securities in U.S. Dollars

China holds $798.9 billion in American debt. Japan holds $746.5 billion in U.S. debt. The U.K. holds $230.7 billion of the U.S. debt. Brazil holds $156.2 billion in U.S. debt. Hong Kong has $142.0 billion of the American debt. Russia has $122.5 billion of American debt. Luxemburg holds $90.8 billion of the American debt. Taiwan has $78.7 billion of Americas debt. Switzerland owns $71.5 billion of Americas debt. Germany holds $52.8 billion in American debt.

South Korea has $42.2 billion of the U.S. debt. Canada has $40.8 billion in American debt. Ireland has $38.3 billion in U.S. debt. France has $36.2 billion in U.S. debt. Singapore has $35.2 billion of the U.S. debt. India owns $32.9 billion of the American debt. Turkey owns $30.4 billion of the U.S. debt. Thailand holds $30.1 billion in U.S. debt. Norway holds $24.9 billion in American debt. Mexico holds $20.7 billion of U.S. debt…Read More

Are you stressed at work? You’re not alone: A recent Gallup poll indicates that on-the-job pressure is the top reason for employee dissatisfaction in the American workforce, and nearly half of American workers say their job is “very or extremely stressful.”

And whether you notice it or not, you’re broadcasting clear signs that should indicate to your employer that you are overworked and need a change of pace. The infographic below, developed by Column Five in conjunction with employee wellness company Keas, shows exactly how employees behave when they’ve been pushed to their limits. Workers tend to develop classic symptoms when their workload gets too much to bear, such as poor memory, fatigue and bad time management. They also exhibit odd behaviors, working too much or too little in response to the level of stress in the workplace. Employers should be watching for these key symptoms and redirecting overworked employees to a more manageable situation…Read More

Did you impulsive book a hotel for Memorial Day weekend late at night, tired and groggy eyed? Whether it was because you needed an emergency place to crash for a night or you’re a budget-conscious traveler who spotted an excellent last-minute deal, you’re not alone. It turns out plenty of hotel patrons are reserving rooms after-hours.

Hotel Tonight, an Apple iOS-powered accommodations booking service, did some research to figure out what types of people are booking rooms late at night and why they’re doing it.

Who are these late night crusaders of last-minute late-night reservations? 24% of them are workaholics, 22% are tired drivers who need to get off the road and 20% are “thrill seekers” who crave the adrenaline rush of an impulsive escape…Read More

TV critics predict True Blood, the hit HBO series about vampires and other superhuman characters, will dominate conversations online this summer. And while the show’s plot is responsible for driving much of the dialogue across social networks, True Blood‘s social media tactics to engage viewers propels the buzz to another level.